Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Tuesday game. I apologize for the jokes written in my delirium in advance. Have questions? Ask me during my office hours on Twitch weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Tyler Glasnow (TB) vs BAL (L) – 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 85 pitches.
What is going on with Tyler Glasnow? After a rough outing against the Athletics, he chucked another clunker against the Orioles today, returning 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 85 pitches for fantasy managers who patiently endured eight weeks without Glasnow on their rosters. Is this it? Has Glasnow turned into a Cherry Bomb and his ace aspirations are gone?
It’s possible, but likely not. The four-seamer did what it was supposed to do with consistent elevation inside the zone while the slider held a 67% strike rate. Sure, the curve wasn’t reliable at just 6/14 strikes, but a two-pitch Glasnow with a ton of strikes generally does far better than 6 ER in under five frames. So what are you saying, the Orioles had his number for whatever reason and that’s that? …yes? Sure, you want more than five fastball whiffs and the curve should be better in the future, but honestly, this was a bad day when I think Glasnow didn’t pitch as poor as the line suggests. You keep starting him and buy low if you can, though I need to remove that AGA label for now. Sorry bucko, I believe in you, it’s just how it is.
Let’s see how every other SP did Tuesday:
Marcus Stroman (CHC) @ PIT (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 98 pitches.
The dude can’t be stopped. Nick, it was the Pirates. Sure, but you gotta beat them too, you know. Like Mauer’s non-double down the line in the playoffs, that’s fair.
Daniel Lynch (KC) @ DET (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 78 pitches.
There’s your clear Gold Star for the night, even if Lynch returned just two strikeouts across seven frames. He’s truly a four-seamer/change guy now with just 10 breakers thrown in total while the changeup was featured 36% of the time. What’s strange is the high 36% CSW despite some highly questionable command on the pitch (at least he got it armside, but he can’t get it down) and I don’t see Lynch being able to produce consistently with just heater and slow ball. This isn’t the ticket to a breakout campaign.
Eury Pérez (MIA) vs TOR (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 80 pitches.
Ohhhhhhh baby! Get a load of his four-seamer and slider locations, this is perfection and everything I hoped to see from Eury the moment he became a major leaguer. Even better – there’s still room to grow with his changeup, even if it went 5/12 whiffs. The kid is the real deal and I’m sad he’ll be shut down at some point this year. I wonder where he goes in 2024 drafts…
Yusei Kikuchi (TOR) @ MIA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 87 pitches.
Yessssss. So the curve was able to earn strikes again? Welllll not really. It returned just 9/20 strikes…but the slider! That crushed inside the zone at a 76% strike rate while the four-seamer cleaned up at a 36% CSW. Yeah but I thought the breakers in the zone were the key to this. They are. So how am I supposed to feel? A little bit of Blame it on the Marlins and Maybe Kikuchi is still kinda good. Look, the Athletics are next and this isn’t enough to bench him okay? Fine, we let it ride, let it ride.
Reid Detmers (LAA) vs LAD (ND) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 98 pitches.
WHAT. Despite getting the Rangers and Dodgers, Detmers has flourished and now it’s hard to deny him as a clear pickup. I’m still seeing some of the same mistakes we saw before – floated sliders, questionable heaters, and a curve that isn’t quite as reliable as we want it to be – but sometimes you have to accept success and start a guy against the White Sox. Here’s to hoping this is legit. JACKSON! GET MY DETMERS BOBBLEHEAD OUT OF THE CLOSET!
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) @ LAA (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 103 pitches.
Look at TATIAGA go, earning a Win despite just a 19% CSW and some wonky breaking ball command. The vet knows how to finagle a start when it isn’t working perfectly.
Kutter Crawford (BOS) @ MIN (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 77 pitches.
Gasp. I. KNOW. Crawford is a PLV darling with his four-seamer grading as high as any SP out there and the pitch came through tonight for 39% CSW, but seeing the curve wake up a bit and featuring kutters for strikes has me raising an eyebrow as well. There’s potential here and once he nails down one of his curve or slider (this pitch has some work to do) as a 25%+ usage pitch, things are gonna get fun. That’s a decent-sized IF, and if there’s one situation where we’ve seen breakers take the spotlight, it’s as a RHP against the White Sox. What’s his next start? … You can’t be serious. GET YOUR JACKET WE’RE HEADING TO CHICAGOOOOO.
Ken Waldichuk (OAK) @ CLE (ND) – 1.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 27 pitches.
Waldi (the off-brand Waldo) was found opening today for Luis Medina, who did everything you wanted with 4.1 IP of 1 ER, five baserunners, and four strikeouts. He nearly had the Win too, if it weren’t for those meddling relievers. It’s a deep play for when you’re in dire need of some production and make sure not to turn to it often.
Gerrit Cole (NYY) vs SEA (W) – 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 20 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 105 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Guess what? He finally got the slider down and it dominated for 7/28 whiffs (25% SwStr rate!) and 36% CSW. That’s the Cole we know and love. It’s about dang time.
Jordan Montgomery (STL) @ WSH (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 94 pitches.
Hey that’s another productive outing from The Bear and shockingly so with his change and curve each returning 25% CSW or worse. He commanded his fastballs well and avoided the heart of the plate and the Nationals ate it up. Good for you JorMont, keep it up.
Ranger Suárez (PHI) vs ATL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 99 pitches.
Okay I love this. Suárez has been cruising and I was conflicted here against Atlanta, ranking him in the third tier despite his clear rhythm. I should have had more faith, Ranger. With NYM + WSN + @MIA up next, you have no excuse to hold him back at this point.
Spencer Strider (ATL) @ PHI (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 22 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 103 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. What, did you expect him to continue failing despite rocking a stupid good fastball and slider? Start your studs.
Michael Lorenzen (DET) vs KC (L) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 93 pitches.
Lorenzen is the kind of arm you start against poor offenses and despite the 1.50 WHIP, this is a lovely sight. Sadly it’s @TEX, @COL, TOR ahead because he has to repent or something. I dunno, the baseball gods have it out for him for some reason and luckily you can shut it away until after the All-Star Break.
Seth Lugo (SD) @ SF (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 66 pitches.
He’s back! It was a clear Still ILL with just 66 pitches thrown, but daring managers were rewarded with five productive frames of solid fastballs and a very inconsistent curveball. Seriously, for being your most thrown pitch, a 43% strike rate is really bad. It’s safe to assume that gets better moving forward and I’m fine starting him against the Nationals next. The only concern is the pitch count, which could limit him to under five frames even if he was efficient in this one.
Framber Valdez (HOU) vs NYM (W) – 8.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 94 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. There was a bit of Careful, Icarus here as Valdez allowed his only two runs in the eighth inning and I don’t care. Why? Because his cutter went 48% CSW with 11/27 whiffs, propelling his King Cole. THAT’S THE GOOD STUFF.
Aaron Civale (CLE) vs OAK (ND) – 6.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 100 pitches.
Sometimes you play the matchup and sometimes the matchup plays you. Isn’t that the same thing? Sure, it’s why we started Civale and despite not getting a Win, we’re all kinds of happy here. MIL + @CHC + KCR are next and I suggest you sit back and let the assembly line do its thing. Thanks for going 70%+ cutters and curves at 38% CSW.
Dylan Cease (CWS) vs TEX (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 9 Ks – 24 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 101 pitches.
Yeah, the slider is back. Like really back. Like 19 whiffs and 43% CSW back. Like–we get it. We saw the slider perform nearly as well last start, but I had my concerns that it could have been a one-time thing. Pairing this slider with a heater sitting comfortably above it and a curveball that fell into the zone a decent amount was all he needed to nullify one of the best offenses in the bigs. You love to see it. Enjoy the Gallows Pole, you man of redemption.
Johan Oviedo (PIT) vs CHC (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 101 pitches.
Hey that’s great. The slider was legit at 31% CSW and the heater found enough strikes without damage to get him through six frames. Be careful with Oviedo against legit offenses, but he should come through more times than not against mediocre squads.
Kyle Bradish (BAL) @ TB (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 92 pitches.
WHEN ARE YOU GONNA GIVE BRADISH SOME RESPECT?! Maybe now? That slider was stupid good at 12/44 whiffs and 41% CSW, while the curve held a 68% strike rate. That’s the good stuff, especially across about 70% of all his pitches. That’s the approach that works best for Bradish – the ole Guardians way – and if he can continue to boast 65%+ strike rates across breaking balls, it’ll continue to work. Let’s hope it does.
Ben Lively (CIN) vs COL (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 80 pitches.
Oh Raggedy Anne. How I miss those exciting days with your slider stealing the show. Now you’re looking into your sack, realizing you snagged the final season of Dexter. You stole the wrong show and this is what you get.
George Kirby (SEA) @ NYY (L) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 95 pitches.
I’ve given a whole lot of praise to Kirby this season, acting all flabbergasted at his four-seamer returning a 17%+ SwStr rate and wondering if he’ll have a dependable secondary pitch. Well, we got the latter with a 48% CSW slider at a whopping 35% usage, but that’s likely because his fastball went 1/28 CSW. ONE. That’s a 4% CSW without a single whiff and I’m shook. HOW CAN THIS BE. The last time the Mariners faced the Yanks, both Bryce and Logan got their fastballs walloped while Kirby soared. You can never outrun the Yankees, they delivered via singing telegram the next day. I guess they got their revenge and yet, it was just 3 ER in seven frames. The fact that Kirby was able to adapt so well in such a clear outlier of a game should not be overlooked. Cool stuff.
Bailey Ober (MIN) vs BOS (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 95 pitches.
Ehhhhh, this isn’t what we wanted. Ober failed to hit a 23% CSW on any of his fastball, change, or slider. Instead he relied on a curve (out of nowhere) to help get him to the finish line. That said, the pitch separation is still what we want to see and my feelings on Ober haven’t changed a bit.
Anthony DeSclafani (SF) vs SD (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 88 pitches.
If you’re still rostering Tony Disco because of his successful April, I highly recommend you stop doing that. This blurb sounds familiar. It’s because I’ve been doing it for about a month now. Please move on so you can dance another night.
Ryne Nelson (ARI) @ MIL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 84 pitches.
This isn’t as poor as we’ve seen from Nelson, but sadly the secondaries weren’t anything new. Nay, this was the heater doing well against a poor offense. Sigh. There is no Ryne or reason.
Justin Verlander (NYM) @ HOU (L) – 7.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 94 pitches.
This was really a poor third that did Verlander in and I think he pitched pretty dang well through the game. It’s interesting, he’s not overwhelming batters like we’ve seen in the past, but he’s locating well and I trust him to be constantly productive through the year. We may need to temper expectations as a legit Top 10 arm, but as a Holly? Yeah, that’s an easy goal.
Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) @ CWS (ND) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 92 pitches.
Weird that Eovaldi’s worst start in ages comes against the White Sox and–NOOOOOOO. What? He’s back down to 93.8 mph fastballs. Oh no. “OH NO” IS RIGHT. He’s down two ticks on the already slightly down four-seamer and a whole three on the cutter. Remember, he used to sit 96/97 mph on fastballs, and seeing 94 mph last year in the second half made us all kinds of terrified. 93.8 is…not good. If you’re in the PL Discord, you’ll know it’s the fourth straight game of a declining four-seamer velocity and…yeah. This is scary.
Colin Rea (MIL) vs ARI (ND) – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 74 pitches.
Rea is Colin all Angels to hope they can ump the next game to help him survive. A pitcher’s gotta do what a pitcher’s gotta do.
MacKenzie Gore (WSH) vs STL (L) – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 98 pitches.
Womp womp. That four-seamer is such a weapon when located upstairs (10/53 whiffs!) but the pitch leaked down a bit while the slider wasn’t reliable. There really is legit potential here if he nails the BSB and I so badly want to believe he can do it. I still wonder if the Nationals are actively helping him achieve it, though, and the fact that I’m even questioning that irks me. THE IRK. IT HURTS.
Noah Davis (COL) @ CIN (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 81 pitches.
Noah, get the GOAT. We need something worth watching in Colorado.
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Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
Tbh T Hernandez cost Kirby early on with an awful play on Rizzo’s fly ball.